The multi award winning filmmaker Thomas Piper had a 'happenstance' moment when he met the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.
The two men have a perfect eye for beauty, design and the abundant colour palette given by nature. The film is an exquisite tale that documents the garden artistry and sense of place of the Dutchman Piet Oudolf. He is neither botanist, landscape gardener, garden designer nor nurseryman. We meet a man who is deeply rooted to the ebb and flow of nature. He exerts certain timelessness and in his lifetime he has concerned himself with watching plants - their growing habit, their beauty in full bloom and also in seasonal transition. It matters not to Oudolf whether they are classified as weeds or treasured bedded annuals or perennials in the lexicon of botanists and botanical artists.
Oudolf experiments with mixing the two together to create fields - acres - areas planted out by teams of devoted gardeners to create abstract canvasses of colour, form, texture and more.
The film is a lyrical conversation over four seasons. The botanist Rick Darke says to Piet Oudolf "your work teaches us to see what we have been unable to see".
Oudolf's life - painting with plants began when he bought a derelict house in the countryside in the Netherlands that sits on one and a half acres. Named Hummelo it is now world-famous amongst architects and plant lovers across the world.
Oullof's commissions include the Highline Garden in New York, the Hauser and Wirth gallery and arts centre in Somerset and work in Chicago, Texas and more.
The filmmaker plays with light in his cinematic takes to create a joyous film that is supported by a music score grounded in compelling base tones on piano and a wide variety of instrumental sounds.
The cinema is a glorious renovated venue for Sydney to enjoy and it is part of the Paramount Pictures building, now renovated to include a swish hotel and indoor and outdoor cafe.
The film commences on 13 May at this venue and will also play in Katoomba.
| 80 Commonwealth Street | |
| Surry Hills NSW 2010 |
